My Top 10 Ideas for Staging Your House for Sale

1) Clean, clean and then clean some more - make everything spotless from top to bottom, and inside every closet and drawer. Have the outside windows cleaned and house pressure washed if it's not perfectly clean. Clean up the yard as well. Hire people to do this if you do not have the time. If you have pets make sure there is absolutely no pet odour in the house.

2) Declutter - Get everything out of the house that you can - just have enough stuff (furniture, kitchen things, pictures, etc.) to make the house inviting and functional. Make sure the closets are not stuffed with clothing. Have a minimalist approach to artwork and ornaments. Ideally rent a storage container to get stuff entirely out of the house. Decluttering is the hardest thing for people to do as the "stuff" they have in the house reflects how they live - people find it hard to "live" without all that extra stuff. BUT TRUST ME if you can do without the extra stuff for a couple of weeks it will pay off very well in terms of a higher price and quicker sale. If you must keep a lot of stuff around there are good handymen in Victoria (say like me for instance) that can build you some shelves.

3) Tidy up the windows - Make sure the windows are perfectly clean inside and out and that there is no mold growth on them. If they are older wooden or metal windows give them a fresh coat of paint. Do not let anyone talk you into puttng new windows in just for resale - you will never get your money out of them.

4) First impressions count - Make sure that the house "shows" well as propective buyers walk up the front walkway - this will be their first impression - if it is negative it can be really difficult for buyers to get over it even if the rest of the house is wonderful. Tidy up the front yard, plant lots of flowers, consider some hanging baskets or flower pots on the front steps, repaint the front door if it needs it and clean everything. Make sure the front entrance is not cluttered up with a bunch of shoes, dog toys, car keys, cell phones, etc. Buy a really nice front welcome mat.

5) Check out your bathrooms - Have a good look at your bathroom. Sometimes if the bathroom finish is very old (i.e. with pink fixtures and fake marble sinks) there is not much you can do other than make it as clean as possible. But if your bathroom was redone in the last decade or so there is hope. Is your tub finish getting old and worn? - have your tub repainted (it only costs $400 to $500 and makes the tub look brand new). Is your faucet dated - have it replaced. Do your towel racks/hook/toothbrush holder look like something from Marie Anttoinette's bathroom - replace it with something more contemporary (unless you live in a French palace). If you have carpet on the floor of the bathroom, absolutely have it replaced with vinyl.. (This of course is where I plug myself again as a good local Victoria handyman to hire.)

6) Repaint where it makes sense - Paint is about the cheapest and biggest change you can make. Some rooms really need to be repainted - like that bright pink room your teenage daughter wanted, or the mural your teeage son painted of the Ninja Turtles in 1987. You may also just have rooms that have not been painted in several years and need freshening up. When you do repaint go for something warm but neutral. Good paint stores will be able to recommend some good colour choices that help sell a house. Be careful with darker colours like earthtones and burgundies - while they can provide an elegant backdrop for a room you also need to have the right furnishings to pull it off. Also darker colour shows every imperfection in the wall and can make rooms appear smaller.

7) Make your basement an asset - With the high price of real estate in Victoria, basements have become more important over the years. People see unfinished space as potenial areas to add living space or workshop/hobby space. So again make the basement spotless and get the junk/clutter out. Make sure all the lights work and repace the bulbs with the maximum wattage they will accept. Consider adding some lights if there are really dark areas in your basement. A bright clean unfinished basement can look inviting as compared to a dark, cluttered, dirty dungeon.

8) Never think people can see past things - I often hear people say they think buyers will be able to "see past" the: cluttered closets, holes in the drywall, orange kitchen walls, and broken door knob. Buyers often cannot see past things and only two or three small negative items can turn them off a house that otherwise would be a good fit for them.

9) Update light fixtures - Nice looking light fixtures have gotten very cheap over the past decade. You can now get tasteful and unobtrusive ceiling fixtures for bedrooms/hallways for $15 to $30. Bathroom, kitchen and dining room lights are more but still can add a cost-effective upgrade if your current fixtures do not show well.

10) Remember why you are doing this - keep in mind that staging a house for sale is about getting top dollar for your house - in Victoria it can mean tens of thousand of dollars. The cleaning, decluttering and updating is a hassle and can feel like an intrusion on your lifestyle, but remember it's just short term and can result in a huge return.

Finally - ask people for help and opinions.

Interview at least three real estate agents (every agent will come by obligation free to be interviewed) and ask each of them what changes they would recommend before listing your house. Take their recommendations seriously - this is what they do for a living.

Also ask your friends and family for their honest opinion of your house and what would make it more inviting.

Talk to sales people at the hardware stores - let them know you're selling your house and want to update things in a cost-effective manner. Most of the chain harware stores have their own brands that offer attractive fixtures at prices well below name brands. Islandhandyman - Victoria BC handy man services